It’s rare for passengers to witness the behind-the-scenes workings of a plane, such as a preflight check. That is, under normal circumstances.
Recently, one woman flying with Swiss International Air Lines says she caught a glimpse of this preflight process.
In her video, which has gone viral with over 2 million views, TikTok creator Maya (@mayaworld18) films herself sitting in her plane seat, looking uncomfortable. She appears to be in the dark.
“Accidentally catching a light test on my flight,” she wrote in the video’s text overlay.
First, she fans herself with the safety information pamphlet, then shows a bottle of water to the camera, at which point a bright light comes on. Then, as she shows a bag of refreshing tissue, the light behind her changes again, this time flashing in different colors, before turning to normal.
Maya added some more detail in the caption. “We sat for over two hours on the plane with no power and no AC,” she wrote. “Flight was ultimately cancelled. At least we got water, nuts, a refreshing towel, and a light show.”
What Is a ‘Light Test’ on a Plane?
In order to be able to operate an aircraft, a flight crew has to make sure that all of its lights are working properly, both during the day and at night. This is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
A flight is not allowed to take off without making sure that lights such as anti-collision lights, landing lights, taxi, logo, wing inspection, and more are fully operational.
As per the Airplane Flying Handbook, “All airplane lights should be checked for operation by turning them on momentarily during the preflight inspection.”
This is likely what Maya caught in her video, though it’s unclear what caused the reported cancellation.
The Mary Sue has reached out to Maya (@mayaworld18) via TikTok messages for more information. We’ve also contacted Swiss International Airlines via contact form for official comment.
Viewers Have Questions
In the comments section, users focused more on the flashing lights.
“Okay but why does an airplane HAVE a rave mode,” one joked.
“Oh, so we could be having fun but just choose not to, ok,” another quipped.
A third commenter thought Maya deserved some sort of compensation.
“Depending on the actual temp in the cabin… thats actually against faa regulations,” they wrote. “If they don’t rebook you or compensate you. -from a flight attendant who would be going crazy in a hot cabin with passengers for that long.”
@mayaworld18 We sat for over two hours on the plane with no power and no AC. Flight was ultimately cancelled. At least we got water, nuts, a refreshing towel, and a light show. #swissairlines #lax #nopower ♬ original sound – Maya’s World ?
“They rebooked me for the next day!” Maya responded to that comment. “I still am submitting a claim bc my initial flight was a direct and I ended up with a connecting flight.”
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